Hope: Lost and Found
by Mogo Girl
Summary: Immediately following the incidents that took place with the unsub at the end of HOPE, Morgan helps Garcia deal with the reality of it all.  Just a one-shot of what I wished had happened at the end of the episode.


**Hi everyone! It's been a LONG time since I've written anything but after last night's episode, I just couldn't help myself. Something just felt off for me between our beloved Morgan and Garcia and the episode just needed something more in my opinion. Last night, Morgan came across to me as a little harsh with Garcia and I just couldn't leave it that way. So here's how I would have liked to see it end. I hope you enjoy. **

**SPOILERS for ending of HOPE. Don't read if you don't want to know how it turns out!**

*As always, I don't own Criminal Minds!*

HOPE: LOST and FOUND

"Monica!" Garcia screamed as the shot rang out. Penelope stared in horror as she watched the unsub fall to the grown, his blood splattering the walls and everything around him, including her, as he collapsed lifeless to the ground.

After that, everything was just a blur. She knew at some point the rest of the team must have rushed in, Monica was removed from the scene, crime scene investigators were crawling everywhere and she had somehow ended up sitting in the front seat of Derek's SUV, the blood of the unsub still staining her clothes and skin. How she had gotten from the house to the SUV, she couldn't remember. It was as if she was moving in total blackness.

Penelope jumped as she felt someone touch her shoulder, jolting her out of her stupor.

"Baby Girl, it's me, Morgan. Are you okay?"

"Huh?", was all she could manage to get out as she turned her head to see Morgan taking a handkerchief from his back pocket and felt him begin to gently wipe at some of the blood on her cheek. As she looked at him, she couldn't help but notice the look of worry in his eyes and the frown lines around his mouth.

"Baby Girl, you're okay now. You did a really good thing in there and you came through when we needed you, when Monica needed you." Derek spoke in a soft voice as he gently pushed an errant strand of hair out of Garcia's eyes. He could see that Garcia was probably going into a state of shock over what she had witnessed and knew he had to bring her back to reality, no matter how much pain it brought her.

"Penelope, talk to me," he prodded with a slightly more forceful tone in his voice.

"Derek, what the hell just happened in there? What did I do?" Garcia's voice was barely above a whisper as tears began to run down her face and she looked for answers she knew she would never find in Derek's eyes.

"Penelope, listen to me," Derek said as he took her chin in his hand forcing her to keep eye contact. "What you did was to allow the rest of us to rescue Monica and bring her safely home, period. Everything else doesn't matter. Do you understand that?"

"But Derek," Penelope began to protest between sobs as the vision of the gun going off kept running through her mind.

"No, no 'buts', Baby Girl. Listen to me, FOCUS on me," Derek commanded as took Penelope by the shoulders and physically turned her in her seat so that she was facing him directly. "You did exactly what needed to be done. You had no way of knowing that Monica would take things into her own hands and, you listen closely to this, you are NOT responsible for that! Do you hear me, Penelope? Everything you did in there was exactly right and if it wasn't for you, we very well may have two bodies in there instead of one. YOU saved her life, Baby Girl. YOU, and you alone, saved your friend's life. You got that?"

As Derek's words began to penetrate her mind, Penelope's sobs became even more violent and she collapsed wholly into Derek's embrace. "Thank you, my love," she managed to choke out between sobs as she buried herself into her best friend's chest.

"Penelope," Derek soothed as he stroked her hair, "you are so much stronger than you realize and I grow more and more amazed at your strength and devotion to those around you every day. Please don't ever doubt what you mean to your friends, this team…and to me, Baby Girl." With those last two words, Derek gently pushed her from his embrace and looked deep into her tear-mottled eyes. "You never cease to amaze me, Penelope Garcia, every time I think I can't love you more, you do something unexpected, something so selfless and giving, I can't help but love you more and thank my lucky stars that I have someone like you for a best friend." Leaning down, Derek gently gave her a loving peck on the tip of her nose and wiped the tears streaming down her face.

"Oh, Derek, you always know just what to say to make everything better," Garcia replied as she rewarded her best friend with a quick smile. At that moment, Derek knew she was on her way back to him.

"C'mon, Baby Girl," Derek said as he put his arm around her shoulders, "let's go do our exit interviews with Hotch and then get the hell out of here. I think I see a long night of popcorn, movies, chocolate, tears and talking ahead of us." Derek flashed Garcia one of his killer smiles as he gently led her to where Hotch was waiting. Feeling the strong, protective arms of her best friend around her, Penelope knew that while it wasn't going to be easy, she would make it through this and anything else that came her way.

The END!


End file.
